Sometimes, Suzanne Groisser's clients are afraid for their own safety and well-being. Sometimes, they worry about their children. Each case comes with its own set of troubling, sometimes threatening, circumstances.

Groisser's presence is critical. "Without a lawyer," she said, "victims of domestic violence do not get the protection they need."

Cases of alleged domestic abuse bring Groisser to the Family Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey in Newark two days every week. Part-time attorney for the Rachel Coalition, she represents between two and seven clients each week. Usually, Groisser said, they need help getting restraining orders, and often there are custody issues involved. That makes things more complicated.

"For victims of domestic violence, the most lethal time is visitation. It gives the abuser access to the victim," she said.

In some cases, Groisser helps a parent arrange a transfer of children to the other parent through a third party or at a public location. In others, victims are afraid for their children. "Sometimes, the best way to get at the victim is by taking anger out on the children," Groisser said. Cases can take two weeks, two months, sometimes a year to resolve. It is Groisser's job to help clients articulate their needs before a judge and navigate the legal process.

In an effort to secure Groisser's services and raise awareness of the legal needs of victims of domestic violence, the Rachel Coalition – a partnership of nine New Jersey organizations that provides services to victims of domestic abuse – is initiating a legal service fund on May 30, with a goal of $500,000. The money will become part of an endowment, which will eventually cover the $75,000 budget of the coalition's legal services team.

Since the coalition began offering legal services in 2003, funds have come almost entirely from grants.

"No matter who or where they are, if a victim of domestic violence needs legal aid, we should provide it," said Reuben Rotman, executive director of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ, which administers the Rachel Coalition. "Increasingly, more and more of our clients are struggling with legal issues."

A public awareness campaign will accompany the focus on legal issues, ensuring that all community education programs the coalition is involved with will include it.

"These issues get lost in the shuffle. When people think of domestic violence, they think shelter or counseling, not legal issues. But legal issues sometimes keep the victim embroiled for years," Rotman said.

Legal advocacy is the most recent addition to the coalition's services, which include a 24-hour hotline, a kosher shelter, counseling, medical assistance, and outreach.

In addition to Groisser, the Rachel Coalition has a cadre of about 50 attorneys trained in domestic violence issues who serve on a pro bono basis. They are students at area law schools, practicing attorneys at firms, and participants in the lawyers division of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey.

Together these lawyer provide legal counsel to approximately 100 people per month through the coalition.

The Rachel Coalition is the only agency in Essex County that offers pro bono legal services to clients involved in domestic abuse cases. It therefore receives referrals from all over the county, according to Rotman. It has developed a relationship with another domestic violence organization, Partners for Women in Justice; together the two agencies recruit and train the attorneys. Women in Justice also handles some of the administrative tasks, freeing the Rachel Coalition staff to focus on the clients.

Groisser, who holds a degree from Harvard Law School, spent six years working at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, part of that time specializing in domestic violence. She handles any cases for the coalition that show signs of complications.

Joanne and Arthur Weinbach of Short Hills started the legal service fund initiative with a lead gift of $100,000. Joanne, former chair of the Rachel Coalition, said that the legal programs were just getting under way when her tenure ended.

"I have been so moved by the work Suzy is doing and by the stories the volunteers are telling. I thought, if we start a fund like this, we can really make a difference," she said. Pointing out that the Rachel Coalition already provides a kosher shelter and counseling services, she said, "This will ensure that we will always be able to keep the legal program going."

The coalition's legal services are an outgrowth of The Essex County Court Watch, a project the coalition cosponsored in 2000 and for which Groisser served as a consultant. Through the project, 200 volunteers monitored 2,000 domestic violence cases in the Family Court in Newark.

That project revealed that judges spent about 20 minutes per case and awarded spousal support in just 5 percent of cases. According to Groisser, that meant that "people needed lawyers, especially for ancillary issues like mortgages and child support."

She was hired in 2003 by the coalition and continues to monitor the court system informally through her work.

Even before Groisser joined the team, the Rachel Coalition had produced a legal handbook outlining domestic violence victims' rights and had begun training pro bono attorneys to work on behalf of their clients. Since hiring her, the coalition has created a court advocacy program, providing volunteers in family court to help women navigate the system as they arrive in court.

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